How It Could Be
by Demonic Angel Clone
Summary: John meets the girl who will always be a part of his life at barely two years old. Now AU.
1. Part One

**_How It Could Be_**

* * *

_Part One_

* * *

"_No one really wants to see the baby on camera until it's clean, and smiling about three years from now…"_

-**Ashley Juergens**

* * *

The first time he sees her, she's a bundle in a fluffy pink blanket, and her eyes are shut.

He's too young to comprehend much at this point, but this is what he knows. The girl holding the bundle is one he's seen many times, he's played on her lap. He's tugged her thick dark hair in his fingers and his mommy and daddy know her. She's tired, her eyes are barely open but she's smiling so something good must've happened. Next to her is someone he's seen before too, a boy. He's smiling even wider than usual and his hand is on the bundle too.

Amy bounces John in her arms and he turns to her. She grins, "John, say hi to Alexandria."

John's eyebrows furrow and he looks over his mother's shoulder to Ricky, who's also smiling. John turns back to the small bundle in Adrian's arms, and it moves. Amy leans in closer and John reaches out, running his hand carefully over the soft material. The baby's mouth opens and yawns before settling to the touch.

This is the first time he reaches out to her, but it won't be the last.

-

A few months later, and she's practically a staple in their household. Her baby face is rosy and she has pouty lips that open up to cry.

A lot.

And when she's not crying, she's yelling. And when she's not yelling, she's giggling because she smeared peas on your face. John learns quickly to enjoy the time he knows to walk and she doesn't because as soon as she learns to walk, she'll be running circles around him.

(It's obvious where she gets her speed and agility from because as soon as she learns how to run, she somersaults as if her life depended on it).

-

John didn't know it at the time, but the minute that Lexy opened her big wide mouth to the world, the girl was born with connections.

And not just any connections, but ones that could make a guy disappear into some abyss if they crossed her.

(Grandfather number one, Leo, happens to have some illustrious friends in all type of manner of business, including the Mob. And grandfather number two, Rueben, was a DA who could pretty much call on cops from California to New York due to his vast arena of work).

John's been to the butcher shop so many times, it could even be called his second home, but this is Alexandria's first time. Leo's holding her against his broad chest absolutely beaming, and a few of his friends from the old neighborhood, as he calls it are just gathered around him and a busty blonde named Betty who is all smiles.

They were getting married that week, and Leo wanted to make sure that anyone who had a place in his life was there, and who better to mingle with his friends with that Apple of His Eye number one (Alexandria) and Apple of His Eye number two (Betty)?

Betty was nervous because, of course, she wasn't Italian and she wasn't Sarah either. And Alexandria was too young and too unknowing to be nervous, but she was mixed.

(And not too many Hispanics hung out in Little Italy).

But Betty has a heart of gold, as Leo says, and John thinks that since she is always smiling when he sees her that she can't be too bad.

And Alexandria? With her soft dark locks and her winning smile and her gorgeous baby face? Within five minutes, these four formidable men who could probably send someone to be whacked are twined around her pudgy little finger. Really, all they could say is Leo, how come you have the luck to be surrounded by such beautiful women?

"What can I say, boys?" Leo chuckles heartily, Lexy beaming in his arms. "Life's been good to me."

(Alexandria's always adored Leo, so maybe it's fitting that she has a middle name honoring him. Actually, John thinks, she has like, five names, but he never says anything about it because she'll go on a tangent about how it honors her culture, or something).

She giggles with he tickles her little stomach with his finger and Betty has a thought. "Hey, do you think she could be the flower girl?" She asks enthusiastically, turning to the Sausage King.

Leo smiles at his fiancée, loving the spontaneous aspect of her. "I think she's a little young for that, Betty. Maybe when we have our vows renewed."

"Right," Betty says quickly with a flushed smile. "Of course, what was I thinking? I'm just so excited!"

Leo and his friends, all in suits and some sporting old school fedoras, share a laugh at the blonde's lovable antics.

Ricky chuckles as well from the back, where he's holding John because Leo insisted that if Lexy was there, then John should be, too. Robbie's not there because George just put him down for his afternoon nap and he could be fussy at the best of times, but John and Alexandria are thick as thieves, so they survive the absence.

-

John comes to realize that bath time is even wetter than before with her around.

He's testing words on his tongue around this time, perfecting the art of 'No'. And sometimes when Ben goes in for the kill, trying to feed Alexandria, and she turns her head away, he'll say it for her. After making a mess of themselves when their fathers tried to feed them -John with the carrots and Alexandria with the peas- Ricky and Ben prepare their baths while the girls are away. John can say 'Lex -which Ben and Adrian thought was so cute at the time that she was nicknamed Lexy, not that they'll remember the origin. Alexandria, who still couldn't really talk communicated through touches and actions. So when she splashed him in the tub, and his hand fell on her knee, Ben took her quickly out of the water, leaving John alone as his father and Ben argued at the doorway of the bathroom.

Ricky sighed, "You're being irrational. It's not like he knew what he was doing."

Ben gave him a skeptical look, cradling his precious daughter over his shoulder. "You sure you haven't been teaching him any tricks lately?" He glares intently, as if to say Like father, like son, right?

At this Ricky scoffed and told Ben he was out of his mind because John wasn't even old enough to know about that sort of thing, and Ben accused him of probably passing on those lady charmer genes to his son, and now he was trying them on his innocent daughter.

(John didn't see Alexandria for a full week after that, leaving him staring at the front door hopefully and Lexy very irritable).

By the time that Amy and Adrian caught wind to this, Ricky had rolled his eyes at the entire situation and Adrian made sure that Ben's tail was sufficiently tucked between his legs before John came over to the house.

-

Lexy's first birthday party was definitely a lively affair, more than John was used to.

First, the house was filled with people, most of which were speaking languages John didn't understand sometimes. Then, there was a lot of meat, to which Grace jokingly cooed to Lexy, saying she was the Sausage Princess. And finally there were a lot of colors and balloons around. And flashes of light followed by the cooing from familiar faces and not so familiar faces.

(There's a picture of John on the right, Robbie on the left, and Alexandria in the middle on his grandparent's mantle).

-

This is something he can remember so well; it's not even funny.

(Okay, maybe, it's a little funny, just not the spanks on the behind afterward).

Lexy's walking at this point, which translates to Lexy running at this point because she was always a bursting ball of energy -even when she was an infant and she would shriek until her face grew red.

John's bouncing a closed bottle of baby powder on his lap until Lexy catches sight of it and runs around the bedroom with it.

(The bottle turns out to be halfway open, and by the time Adrian and Amy return upstairs, the room and their kids are covered top to bottom with the soft smelling powder, floating around the air like snow).

-

There was an incident in particular where (and don't ask her how she got her hands on it) Lexy hit Ricky in the head with Adrian's baton.

The house lights were off, and Ricky was holding John on his right and Lexy on his left, and surprisingly, neither baby cried as it thundered outside. He was about to turn on the light and everything pretty much went dark.

(Moments later, the lights are on, and Amy and Adrian are standing over him, yelling at him. Ben's holding John and Lexy and he swears he hear him say "That a girl," in his daughter's ear).

(Years later, they make it pretty clear that even if Ben can't knockout Ricky, his daughter sure could).

-

John's a little momma's boy, and Alexandria's daddy's girl.

(This doesn't bode well to either Ricky or Adrian, respectively).

Actually, John just gets along better with the girls because charm and good looks go a long way, and Alexandria just adores her father's smile and her grandfathers' loving arms.

(This goes for both Leo and Rueben).

John sits in his playpen, listening to the melodious blaring of Amy softly blowing her French Horn and Alexandria slumbers against Ben's chest when he hums the lullaby his mother sang to him when he was little from the old neighborhood in Brooklyn.

(Of course, no one mentions that it's Ricky and Adrian that can calm down their children but they secretly smile because they know they can).

Alexandria is bouncing on her father's lap, and John is running his brand new toy car across the backyard table in fascination. (It's shiny and red and jumps off when it reaches the end of the table).

Ricky has a lazy smile on his face, jutting his chin out. "She's going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up," He smirks at Lexy who donned a yellow sundress. It would be one of the only times since John has known her that she actually wears a dress.

She's barely two and her hair is raven dark and curly, already reaching the juncture of her back. Her smile is wide as she plays absently with Ben's button down shirt. Ben strokes her hair, "Yeah, just like her mother."

"What did you say about her mother?" Adrian's head peeks out the backdoor, her glossed lips curled curiously.

"That you're a heartbreaker." Ben says easily and pauses. "Oh, and that you're daughter's going to grow up like you."

Adrian rolls her toffee eyes with a pout, walking out and wrapping her arms around Ben from behind. "I wasn't that bad."

Ricky grins. "What about your brother?"

Adrian rests her head on Ben's shoulder in contemplation. "Oh, yeah. That. And he wasn't really my brother, by the way." She glanced over at the skeptical look marring Ricky's face. "Shut up, Ricky," She mumbled, leaning her arm over closer to Alexandria so she could play with the charm bracelet Ben bought for her.

Amy walks out of her parents' house with a bottle of lukewarm milk for Lexy and a sippy cup for John, cocking her eyebrow when she notices her son incessantly rolling his toy car off the table. "Ricky, make sure your son doesn't hurt himself," Amy quipped curtly, a small smile playing on her face.

"It's funny how he automatically becomes my son when he does something you're not happy with," Ricky retorted, watching Amy lean down to replace John's car with John's cup. Lexy grew bored in Ben's lap and began to stir until he let her down on the slightly dewed grass. She bounded over to John where Amy greeted her with a grin and her bottle and then she took off, flouncing about the yard. John took off after her, making sounds with his mouth as if he were revving like an engine.

"Aww, that's so cute!" Amy gushed at the display of her son chasing after Alexandria.

Ricky scoffed with a shake of his head, his smile betraying the action, and Adrian rolled her eyes, cocking an eyebrow at the other young mother. "Okay, Amy, I was _kidding_ when I said John would become Lexy's boyfriend." The Latina said referring to the last month of her pregnancy when she jokingly divulged that she was carrying John's future girlfriend.

"But it could be nice, them going out when they're older," Amy said musingly, and then paused. "Way older."

"No way," Adrian said with a shake of her head. "If he comes out anything like that one over there," She jutted her chin towards Ricky, whose lip curled downward. "I'd kill him if he hurt her, and I don't think you'll like that." The majorette finished lightly, replacing Lexy's place on Ben's lap with herself.

"No, John's a good boy, I'm sure he'll take from me." Amy commented as she sat in the chair beside Ricky, keeping up the game. She smirked when Ricky's arms rose in the air in exasperation.

"What, did this become Rag on Ricky Day?" The drummer said, sighing.

"Yes!" Both mothers turned to him in unison after exchanging secret smiles with one another.

"I should've known," Ricky said with a knowing smirk. He turned to Ben. "You were supposed to remind me to never have these two in a room together for so long."

Wrapping his arms around Adrian's waist, Ben shook his head. "Completely forgot. I was a little distracted," He murmured as Adrian's fingers twined with the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Ricky gagged falsely at the tender looks Ben and Adrian gave one another and Amy swatted his arm with a frown.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure." Ricky replied with a surly expression. He looked over and gave Amy a look that could only say What, seriously? in response to her glare. She rolled her olive eyes with a sigh; for someone who was supposedly so mature, he did have his moments.

-

The first children's song they learn is, fittingly, John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt.

(Which happens to be everyone's name. Everyone, but Lexy's, that is. There's no x in John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt and when he's old enough to figure that out and tell her, she pouts, saying that John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt is a stupid name anyways).

-

(John figures she's jealous that he has a song he's named after, and she doesn't. She just happens to have everything else to make up for it).

Still, when Grace, another pretty blonde, hums _Jesus Loves the Little Children_ to John and Alexandria, it has an equal calming effect.

(Until Adrian walks in, and shakes her head with a smile. Grace points out that if they couldn't be "Good Christians" that at least John and Lexy have a chance. Adrian points out that there is no such thing as a good Christian, only good people).

-

Alexandria remembers things, distinct things. Like her and John sitting next to each other on her father's lap. Her mother is throwing a black hat in the air with a shiny golden tassel, and John is tugging on her bracelet. Her father got it for her because it looked just like mommy's.

(Alexandria's caught in the age where her parents are false Gods, and she's their wide-eyed worshipper because Adrian was always beautiful and sweet-sounding to her, and Ben's smile was bright and wide, his arms were always warm and ones she's been cradled in several times).

Boys don't have cootie yet so she doesn't fuss at John's soft tugs. Adrian softly shoves John's father on stage and then waves to them brightly. She looks weird today, different in long dark robes, but Adrian always looks beautiful to Lexy so she waves back. She notices when John is lifted from her father's lap and into George's arms. Lexy giggles when his finger pokes her stomach and he wriggles his eyebrows at her comically. Ben finally holds Alexandria up and they make their way down the stands, approaching the stage.

Lexy remembers how happy everyone was that day, Adrian in dark robes and Ben kissing her proudly.

However, it's John who ties together the pieces.

John was in his grandfather's arms when they made their way over to the brass section. Ricky smirked at his mother and Amy smiled back before turning to John. He's three so he can articulate words easier now, and asks what's that thing-y on daddy's head, just like that.

(John's at that age where he believes one thing-y results in another thing-y. Like, if it's his birthday, then he gets gifts. If he does something bad, he goes to timeout, and if everyone is happy, then he should be too).

Ricky pulls off the cap and puts it on John's head, but it swallows his forehead since it's too big for him. The drummer fixes it and tells John that everyone gets one for their graduation, and next year mommy would wear one too…

-

John's so busy speaking about this particular memory, that he doesn't even notice Alexandria shove the aged yearbook into his abdomen. With a huff, his dark eyes narrow and he glares at her, holding the book. "What was that for?"

Alexandria rolls her eyes, crossing her arms to match her crossed legs. "That, is for wasting time. I know it was all happy that day, but what happened next?"

John cocks his head, which sweeps the light brown bangs from his eyes. "I was getting to that part. Calm down or I won't tell you."

Her lower lip abducts and is fixed in a well-placed pout. John isn't fazed because though it's been a while he knows her to be a notorious brat. She's annoying and spoiled and gets what she wants too often so he didn't mind taking her down a notch every now and then. Now, her chocolate brown eyes are glassy with brimming tears. Great. She's going to pull that card.

"But if you don't tell me…then we'll never know. And you can't honestly say that you don't want to know, even a little bit," She gestures with her index finger and thumb, showing a little bit of space in-between. She's giving him a cheesy grin and blinking rapidly in a motion that's supposed to be alluring but comes off twitchy to John.

"Nope," John says, lying back against the headboard with his hands behind his head, popping the _p_. "I don't really care, _you_ do."

The feisty preteen harrumphs in a contemptuous manner because John Juergens can be a jerk, sometimes. And when he wasn't a jerk, he was a sourpuss, like just now. "Whatever," She mutters flippantly, grabbing the book from his hands and turning the worn pages. "If you didn't care, then you wouldn't be here right now, so cut the crap." Grumbling, she avoids his intense stare until he rolls his eyes and starts talking again.

-

…It's later that night, when it takes place.

The inevitable conversation.

Ricky and Adrian are no longer students of Ulysses S. Grant High. And this is a problem because they're both parents, and both have counterparts that are a grade younger than them.

So, what do they do now?

Adrian's holding Alexandria, who's not smiling. Just staring up into her mother's eyes with a sleepy gaze, small hand tightly wound around Adrian's manicured finger. John is sitting on Ricky's knee, still fully awake and Ricky's hand is on his hip to steady him.

They're in Adrian's kitchen, and everything is just too quiet until Alexandria yawns.

"We should really talk about this," Amy murmurs, sitting at the small round table. "I mean, we've been procrastinating this whole time; it's not as if we didn't know this was going to happen eventually."

Ben and Adrian exchange glances, and Ricky wraps his arms around John's waist, pulling him closer into his lap.

It's no secret that Amy wants to go to Julliard, and Adrian, wanting to follow in her father's footsteps, wants to go to Columbia University, so this should work fairly well because they're both in New York. But it's not that simple.

Adrian can't go because that means she would have to leave Ben, and Ricky would have to stay and go to the community college until Amy can leave.

So, what was the problem?

Adrian caresses Lexy's chubby cheek with her finger and Ricky inadvertently holds John tighter.

He's never been away from John for more than a week, and Adrian's never been away from Lexy for more than a few hours.

"Maybe you and Ricky." Ben begins, looking at Adrian and John's father, "Should go to New York, and Amy and I will stay here with the babies."

Ricky's face stays generally cool, but Adrian glances between both men, slightly panicked. "I…don't really like that idea."

She doesn't voice that her being alone in a city with Ricky scares her shitless. Neither does she point out that she doesn't feel comfortable leaving Ben alone with Amy, but then Ben looks over and grips her hand, assuaging her building discomfort.

"Then what do you suggest, Adrian?" Ricky inquires tiredly, running a hand through his hair.

Internally, she suggests that they be selfish, or just not go, or something that doesn't involve her being away from her child and fiancée. Instead, she agrees, not really seeing another option and says that she'll go put Lexy down because the girl can barely keep her eyes open at this point.

-

Summer comes and along with it brings carnivals, the beach, and a girl named Maria who makes these funny faces and talks loudly and gushes over Lexy.

(She also glares in Adrian's direction every now and then, and Adrian returns the gesture with a falsely sweet smile as Ben's arm wraps around her).

Thus begins The Game. Here are the rules: If you thought about the game, you lost the game. The only way you could win the game would be to forget the game ever existed.

So a while, after Ricky drops him off in the playpen, John "forgets" that he's in the next room, and cries.

(Actually, it's more a shrieking yell now).

Then Alexandria joins the mix, and soon it's a power struggle over who could get the most attention.

(And most of the time she wins, with a few tiebreakers from John. Hers is higher pitched and much more alarming, after all).

-

One day, John decides he really likes being held by Adrian. She smells good and bounces him on her lap every time he crawls on it.

(He also decides that he doesn't like it when Amy holds Lexy because he wants them both to himself).

-

Lexy finds out early in life just how much she loves the blaring melodies of the band.

Amy often plays the French Horn at home and church, and occasionally when he thinks no one is looking Ricky will drum on the countertops with the baby spoon and fork to get John to settle down.

It's loud and demanding and if it were tangible it would almost be like a kindred spirit.

She dances to it.

-

It comes to a point where one day melts into another, and as time goes on there are more touches, more cries, and more heavy looks until that last goodbye.

Ben gives Adrian a kiss on her forehead, and Adrian gives Alexandria a kiss on hers (and damnit, she refuses to cry, and holds her daughter just a little closer because she went through so much when she was carrying her).

Ricky's hands are shoved in his pockets and Amy's biting her lower lip, standing a good foot away from him. It's John who bridges the gap, barely walking on hesitant legs until Ricky smirks and picks up his son from the airport carpet. Amy smiles and points outside the windows at LAX, telling John that that's the plane his father will be in.

(There's so much they have to say to each other, and not enough time to say it all, so instead, Ricky hugs her, and for once, Amy just hugs him back).

Ricky pulls away, and smirks when Adrian swats his arm, telling him it's time to go.

(He still finds it funny when she tries to act so strong).

(She glares at him because 'Hello, we've been here all summer, and you're holding up progress').

Before Adrian runs to the gate with her purse, she grabs Ben's collar and pulls him in for a searing kiss, which Ricky rolls his eyes at because she's such a hypocrite.

Ricky gives John and Amy a mock salute, which Amy shakes her head at, and Ben is still flushed and recovering from that last kiss.

"Remember," Ricky calls out after handing his ticket to the guard. "It's not goodbye. It's 'see you later'."

-

Comments? Flames? Thoughts? All of the above?

Next Part comin' up!

DAC


	2. Part Two

_**How It Could Be**_

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_Part Two_

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_"I guess it's time we both realize that we are a family, even though we're not a couple..."_

-**Amy Juergens**

* * *

The car ride home, the hour after that, and that night? All silent.

John realizes it first, about three days later that Ricky wasn't there. So occasionally, he'll stand on his legs and tug on his mother's jeans, dark chestnut eyes imploring. John can now form complete thoughts.

"Where's Daddy?"

And all Amy can do is bend over and try to do the right thing. She says he'll be home soon every time he asks, but she never tells him when, and turns on another cartoon for him to watch.

-

Adrian was a cautionary tale of what not to do: Don't abandon your child. And she should've known that the consequences for doing so could be disastrous.

Alexandria doesn't truly notice until the end of that week that Adrian wasn't there. Sure, she'd get fussy and instead of Adrian's playful rough housing, she endured Ben's soft cradling, but one night, as Ben was tucking her in, she looked to her left, and then looked to her right, and even looked at the ceiling before murmuring, "Mamí."

Ben pauses for a second, slightly freaked out because this is the first time that's happened, and Adrian wasn't even there. He kisses her on her forehead with a widening smile, "Can you say 'Daddy'?"

Lexy looks at him a long moment. She can't say 'where'. Where's Mamí?

So, she does the most logical thing. She cries. She cries loudly. She cries so loud and so hard that Cindy has to come hold her for about forty-five minutes before she gets to sleep that night.

The next morning, she does the same thing, she cries.

After two days of this, Ben is at his wit's end because he has no idea what is wrong with his daughter, what could've happened to anguish her. She's still crying, and he has to get to sleep soon because the first day of school is the next day.

(Alexandria cannot tell him that she wants to know where her mother is, and she wants to know now. The idea is on the tip of her tongue, but she can't form the words, so she cries, hoping that the next person to try to comfort her is Adrian).

(Adrian doesn't come today, or the next day, or the day after that).

(Lexy cries herself to sleep that night).

-

As soon as the plane lands, they both have a wallet full of money, the clothes on their back, their bags, and a place to stay. Leo set it all up; this year, Ricky and Adrian would stay there and then next year, Amy, Ben, and the kids will follow.

(In some other life, in some other universe, this was Adrian's dream. Living alone with Ricky without parents or complications? Ideal!)

Except, it's not that way at all. They walk into the bare loft, set their bags on the floor, marvel at the size of it, and get to work.

Ricky was instantly transferred from Leo's butcher shop branch in California, to the one he has in New York, so he already has a job.

Adrian's filling out part time job applications the very next day while mulling over a cup of ramen noodles.

(Just because they live in a fabulous apartment, doesn't mean they're living fabulously).

Ricky's still busting his ass at work while he can before school starts, and Adrian gets a job as some waitress at a little bistro down the street.

It's almost like they're…dare she think it? It's almost like they're brother and sister. He's comfortable seeing her at her worst –missing home, wearing sweats, and no makeup. And she's fine, watching him shirtless after a shower, without any romantic undertones –it's nothing she hasn't seen before. So, it's a compromise, but it's not the worst.

And maybe…dare she think it again? Maybe Amy was…right. Maybe this could work, should work, will work.

(Damn).

Too bad life doesn't work that way.

-

John starts thinking less of Ricky, and more of that teasing jar of cookies kept precariously on the kitchen counter.

Day after day, his grandpa, his aunt –and even his grandma when she thinks no one is looking- will collectively snag a gooey chocolate chip cookie, and close the lid.

(And they're meanies since they don't offer him any).

So his plan of action is to take the jar of cookies and eat them. But…he needs a decoy.

(His level of thinking's beyond his age).

Ben brings Lexy by and sets her in the play pen, and she looks a shade better than sad. Nowadays, she's irritable, and fussy, and zero fun. And sometimes, she'll just lumber by the window, looking out of it. He knew something was wrong when one day, she stopped smiling. She barely plays with him anymore, so, maybe she wants a cookie too.

(He pokes her).

(She doesn't move).

(He pokes her again).

(She looks over, lower lip distended).

"Cookies," John says, pointing high above him, and Alexandria looks, noticing the jar in his line of vision.

"Cocoa…" Lexy coos and she waddles to the other side of the playpen, clutching at the mesh. Her chocolate brown eyes grow big and she stares at it a very long time.

(When she's older, she earns the nickname Alexandria 'Gets-What-She-Wants' Boykewich. Here's why).

She screams. Loudly. And Ben and Amy come running in with an exasperated Ashley in their wake. Ben scoops her up in his arms and cradles her while Amy strokes her hair and they take her out of the kitchen.

Ashley rolls her eyes, "You know you're going to end up spoiling her if you keep running every time she cries…" She trails off as she follows them into the living room.

As soon as they're gone, John sets to pushing on the wall of the playpen until it tumbles over. He lands on his hands and wrists, but the tumble felt kind of like a pseudo roller coaster, and he smiles.

Then, he tugs on a chair's leg until it moves with a barely audible squeak as close to the counter's edge as possible. He looks up, now even more determined to get those cookies since he's halfway there, and Moose trails in from the backyard, licking John's face. John looks around until he spots the dog's food. He walks over and tries to tug it, but it won't budge.

He looks around the kitchen, and spots the empty laundry basket in the washroom, so he tugs it over to the chair, flipping it over so that he can crawl on the top of it and onto the chair's seat.

He stands as soon as he gathers himself after the rigorous climbing, and his arms are over the counter, reaching for the cookies.

By the time Ben and Amy come back in with a subdued Alexandria, he's already back in his pen, and Moose is lying lazily on the kitchen floor.

Amy smiles, "You're such a good boy." She says as she picks him up and sets him on the floor in front of her, "You didn't even get fussy when Lexy got started."

Ben sets Lexy down on the floor next to John when she stirs a little too much in his arms, and he looks at Amy, "See what I'm talking about? Ever since Adrian left, she's been like this."

"Maybe she misses Adrian," Amy mused with a shrug, brushing her bangs back with her hand. "I mean, it must be hard for Lexy, being away from her mother for so long, maybe this wasn't the best idea."

They continue talking, and John sneaks off into the backyard while they're not paying attention, Lexy following him.

On the top of the steps is the cookie jar, and John pulls the cap off and digs his hand deep in before producing a sweet and sticky cookie in his hand.

Lexy does the same as John begins to nibble on his dessert, and for the first time in days, Lexy doesn't think about her mother's absence.

-

Adrian makes a point to call just about everyday.

Since their time was mediated, Ricky only calls on the weekends, and he's able to have full length conversations on the phone with John which is always a treat to see because his face lights up and he's pretty sure that his son's does too.

But Adrian's situation is a bit different. When she calls for Lexy that first week her heart breaks at hearing the little girl's change in mood, and she threatens Ben that she'll hop on the next flight home as soon as she hears Lexy cry when she says she has to go. He tells her no, that Lexy will be fine, and that she should just focus on the upcoming semester but her performance is still lacking at the restaurant hours later.

-

When school starts up, Ricky's earned enough money to buy new clothes. He's got a scholarship to NYU, full ride, and Leo's taken care of board, so all he and Adrian have to worry about is bills, food, and clothes.

(And occasionally, Rueben will send up some money too. Ricky thinks he's being generous. Adrian calls it penance, but there's no malice behind it, only a smile).

They hit the stores early because shopping in Cali doesn't even touch shopping in New York –oh, and Adrian claims she needs more makeup because her stash is running out.

(Ricky rolls his eyes and smirks afterward, putting his arm around her shoulder).

They both know that, to the untrained eye, they look like a hot young couple because let's face it. He's young and hot and she's young and hot, and his arm's around her and it's almost like the first day of school sophomore year when they walk down the block.

(They also know that no one would guess they're parents either, and even though they miss and love their children, they relish the fact that no one gives them judging looks when they walk down the street).

They're at the department store and Ricky's trying on shirts, and damn, when'd you start dressing like Ben?

He's wearing a sweater. Ricky doesn't do sweaters. Ricky rolls his eyes, "It gets cold here, Adrian."

She grins, catching her lower lip with her teeth, "Then maybe you should wear this." The Latina points out, holding up a parka.

He throws a beret at her laughing face.

She holds up the hat, before placing it on her head, "You know, I kinda like this." She says, preening in front of the mirror. He laughs when she does a vogue pose.

They pick up sweaters, scarfs, coats, and hats. Adrian gets this fitted black pea coat with a silk trimmed hood and Ricky wolf whistles when she struts by.

-

The first day back at Ulysses Grant is a cakewalk at best. The same old syllabus sheets and permission forms handed out, except when they walk in the library, the librarians know their names, and when they walk past the guidance office, Dr. Bink just nods her head with a smile when they make eye contact.

Amy's taking about three periods of band, with English to finish off the day this semester, and Ben's crammed himself with Business Enterprise, Calculus, Multimedia, and the same English Amy's taking.

When they hear about the school budget cuts, and the fact that Band isn't getting any money this year, their nationally ranked Band Amy's senior year, they're both livid.

When they hear Alice that there will no longer be P.E. in elementary school, or electives in middle school, they're shocked into silence.

John's and Alexandria's faces flash in their mind, and they seriously cannot believe the world their kids are unknowingly going to be introduced to. For Amy, she'll have to teach John how to read music since the school won't. Adrian would keep the kids active, how else will they get the exercise they need?

These thoughts cloud their mind for almost the rest of the day.

-

Amy swears that sometimes, just maybe, she kinda-sorta misses Ricky.

(And when she has the presence of mind to finally admit this to herself, she freaks out because the world didn't end because of the admission).

She'll play with John and brush his chestnut hair with a comb, and that's when she'll think Hmm, I wonder what Ricky's doing, and that sets her off down a dark path of trouble because it doesn't even matter if she had his kid, he'll never choose her, and somehow, that rejection hurts. She's used to control and with him it's all uncertainty and chaos so she'll roll her eyes with a sigh when thoughts of him wander into her head.

Because she knows that last thing he's doing in New York is thinking about her.

She needs a distraction. She and Jimmy decided to break up and just stay friends because of distance and the truth is that they're seniors set on different paths and she's a mother and he's a great guy in general, but she needs someone more local, at least for a while.

Then Ben will walk in and do something as small as get her a frippe -her favorite- and she'll smile because he remembered, and it's unbelievably sweet.

Her stomach does a sweeping motion when she looks in his eyes, and she scolds herself because Alexandria has those same damn eyes, she she'll just say thanks and eat her treat with a smile before she does something she may regret.

(Like grab him and kiss him, and taste what love feels like again).

Ugh, she's disgusted that she's having those thoughts at a time like this but she really can't help it either.

Had this happened years earlier, could she succumb easily to these feelings?

(Yes).

But Lexy looks way too much like Adrian, and she thinks that she's more than just friends with this girl -they have a common bond now, one that Amy doesn't share with a lot of people and she just couldn't do that to her, Ben, or that little wide-eyed girl that plays with her son.

"Thanks," Amy says with a smile after her first bite of the apple-flavored dessert.

Ben lets out a relieved sigh, "No problem. You seemed a little dragged down lately and I thought you could use a pick-me-up, so I asked your dad." He pauses, smiling. "And he told me to tell you that, just for the record, he does listen to you."

Amy laughs with a nod, biting into the sweet warm dessert.

-

First quarter ends and with it brings Halloween.

It's bittersweet because Adrian and Ricky won't be there to help dress up the kids Amy and Ben just grin and bear it to make due.

John is fascinated by all things superhero-worthy so Ben suggests that he go as the Green Lantern, whose first name happens to be John.

And Lexy? The girl's a tricky one to pin.

She wants to look pretty, but she doesn't want a dress, they're hard to run in, she says. And she looks at John's outfit and immediately wants to be a superhero, too.

They're at the costume store and the clerk takes one look at her and says she's a dead ringer for Diana.

"Who?" Amy asks.

"Uh, sorry," The clerk says apologetically. "I mean, she'd be a pretty good Wonder Woman."

Amy smiles and looks down at the girl clutching her hand, "Yeah, she would, wouldn't she?"

So Lexy gets her patriotic outfit with a cape, and John gets his black outfit with a green ring –that glows in the dark, so he's totally psyched about showing it off.

-

Two days after that, Ricky smiles at a picture of John, Lexy, and Robbie dressed as Batman in his hand, Adrian looking over his shoulder.

-

(Also, a few things that happened before first quarter ended).

Lauren lost her virginity; only, it wasn't to Jesse like no one expected it to be. It was with Joe, and how on Earth that happened, the world will never know.

Madison got Mono. And the alliteration was lost on no one. Actually it was posted all over the school newspaper and it was just bad on all counts but it was her own fault for sipping that sick girl's drink.

Since the beginning of the year, Grace was the center of some love triangle of sorts between Jack and Jason (note: They're college freshman at this point, making this even more scandalous) and rapid rumors were spreading around that the girl was pregnant.

-

It's not until Thanksgiving Break that Adrian and Ricky come back to California.

John's a big boy now, standing proudly next to Amy and holding her hand. Lexy, however, is having none of that because she already knows what a broken heart feels like, and when she sees Adrian descending down an escalator and talking to Ricky, she runs.

Her hair is bellowing behind her, the soles of her sandals are hitting the marble floor, and Ben is yelling at her to stop but she doesn't care because she's back. She's really back.

Adrian's face turns and she grins, running to her little girl and dropping down on the floor in front of her with her eyes closed and heart open.

(She and Ricky took bets to see which one of them would crumble and fall at the sight of their kids. So when he looks at her with a smirk and an upturned eyebrow as she cradles Lexy, she tells him to go to Hell).

-

When they get home -specifically Leo's because he invited just about everyone- Thanksgiving's in full swing.

There's that homey, delicious aroma of turkey and mash potatoes wafting through the place and Robby greets them at the door with Ashley shaking her head in his wake.

The kids are released from Ricky and Adrian's grasps -they haven't let them go since they first saw them at the airport-and John, Lexy, and Robbie go running though the house, straight to the backyard.

Robbie's pushing four-years-old and grins wolfishly when he takes a frog out of his pocket. The kids collectively ooh and ahh over the stationary amphibian when he croaks, and they're the last to realize Henry's presence next to Alexandria until he oohs and ahhs along with them.

"You know," Henry begins with a blossoming grin as the children look at him. "If you touch those too long, you get warts."

"What are warts?" John questions.

"They're these funky pusballs that grow on your faces," He says seriously, gesturing with his hands.

The kids scrunch up their faces and ewwwww! At the same time.

Henry ruffles up John and Robbie's already ruffled head, and pokes Alexandria in the nose, which she giggles at when Alice comes up behind Henry with her hands on her waist. The Asian girl's eyebrow raises and she quips to Amy who comes to round up the kids that he has the same attention span amount that the kids do.

-

Okay, so, Adrian really wasn't kidding when she said she missed Ben, Ricky notes.

Because somehow, the pair go missing before dinner and once the feast commences, they reappear in the dining room. Ricky's made out with Adrian before –among other things, and several times for that matter. So he knows when he sees her that she gave Ben a really warm welcome because her makeup is a little off, and Ben's lips are extra shiny.

"Dude, your lips are sparkling."

Henry's gawking at Ben across the table, and Alice swats his arm. "What?" He asks. "His lips are really sparkling! Like, with glitter and stuff."

"We get the point, Hank," Alice said tersely, taking his hand in hers as they prepared for prayer.

"Thanks for pointing that out, pal," Ben mutters dryly, readjusting his tie. Next to him Adrian snickers as she grabs his hand from under the table, brushing her thumb over his knuckles consolingly.

Ricky looks to his side, and Amy spares him a rare small smile that he returns in full. He extends his hand and she slides her smoother, smaller one in his.

(He won't ever. Ever. Ever admit this because it'll just open a can of worms that just doesn't need to be opened right now, but he missed Amy. A lot. The crazy that went with Amy? Maybe not so much, but Amy herself? Yeah, he did).

(And maybe a little bit of her brand of crazy, too).

The table at large bows their heads, all holding hands, and Leo prays in his commanding gravely tone.

-

John, Lexy, and Robbie are perched up in high chairs, and Amy is shocked when Adrian gives Lexy a little baby fork.

"Aren't you scared she's going to stick herself in the eye, or something?" The French horn player asks, her maternal instincts enveloping her as she hands John his baby spoon.

Adrian shrugs as Lexy stabs at a snow pea. "How is she going to learn if she doesn't now?"

(This is why, when they're children, Alexandria's so much better at table etiquette than John).

-

Later on, Ben will be cradling a tired Alexandria in one arm, and being led up the stairs by Adrian with his other hand.

Ricky gets his apartment keys from Leo who says the place will always be his as long as he wants it. Anne, George, Ashley, and Robbie already went home long ago so he asks Amy if she wants to crash at his place instead.

"It's not like you haven't been there before-"

"I know," She agrees quickly, already holding John's hand, ready to go.

(He's surprised she's not fighting this, not even a little, but Amy has that effect of always surprising him).

John's still wide-awake from his dessert and saying his goodbyes but he still nestles into the crook of his father's neck when he picks him up.

-

The next day's not necessarily busy, but it's Black Friday ad there's a lot to do before Adrian and Ricky have to go back on Sunday.

Ben wakes up before his fiancé and he gently rouses her by the shoulder his arm is wrapped around. She's tired, she just got in yesterday, and she wants to sleep so Adrian just grumbles and turns to the other side. They're even still wearing the clothes they had on from last night, and Adrian's so tired that she doesn't even register her daughter's disappearance.

Then Betty pops into the room with an energetic Lexy who's bouncing in the blonde's arms. "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!"

"Are there eggs and bacon?" Adrian mumbles under her mussed mess of curls.

Betty's face falls, "Um, no…" She says slowly. "But we could get some!" She adds brightly.

"In that case, let me sleep," The Latina mutters, curling up into Ben's warmth.

Cindy walks into Ben's bedroom, hands on her hips. "Adrian – Adrian Lee…" She coos, shaking her daughter. "Wake up, it's shopping day."

In her sleep addled mind she can't explain that she's not interested in shopping since she went not too long ago so all that's heard are incoherent grumbles from Ben's chest.

Ben strokes Adrian's shoulder blade with his thumb, "Don't you want a girl's day today?"

"No." Adrian says bluntly and petulantly, like a child.

"Adrian!" Cindy scolds half-heartedly, smacking the girl's behind. "You have ten minutes to get ready."

Adrian's head rises from the pillow and critically eyes the clock resting on Ben's night table, "It's 5:30 in the morning." Are you people crazy?

"It's also Black Friday, so we need to get a move on," Her mother says from the door before she closes it, leaving the couple alone in the room.

After a moment, Adrian says, "I hate girls."

Ben chuckles, brushing her hair from her face, "You don't hate Lexy."

"Of course not," Adrian agrees. "But are they serious? It's five-freaking-thirty in the morning."

Ben's thumb sweeps across her cheek, "They're actually very serious. They've been planning this for two months."

Adrian whines and buries her head in the crook of his neck. "Way to make me feel guilty. You're supposed to agree with me."

He knows her too well to know that she's not –that- mad at him, so he kisses her lips for a long moment and pokes her side until she gets out of bed. Which she does, after whacking him with a throw pillow.

-

By the time the girls all make it out the door, it's six and it's the entire Motley Crew, which consists of Adrian, Cindy, Betty, Anne, Ashley, Amy, and little Lexy. And it's no boys allowed so John stays with the guys.

The men sleep in late and go out for breakfast at around nine. Leo's extended the family restaurant menu from strictly dinner and dessert to now breakfast and lunch, so John eats his sausage biscuit on George's knee.

Later now, during the breakfast, Ricky takes Ben aside –which they say is about butchering business, but the men aren't that dense.

"Is it true?" Ricky immediately asks as soon as they're out of earshot.

"What?" Ben whispers, eyebrows furrowed.

"Is Grace Bowman pregnant?"

-

By the time this reaches Adrian's ears, she's at a brunch of her own and her jaw slacks considerably.

"What?" She spits, disbelieving of the news. "No way."

"No one's really sure," Ashley points out. "You know how Grant High is; rumors spread around everyday."

"But rumors like that are usually based in truth," Adrian says firmly with a narrow of her eyes. And it's true, she lived a whole year of it ending of Junior year to Senior year.

Amy sighs against the wall, arms crossed, "I don't think it's true honestly, and if it is then-"

"No," Adrian shakes her head determinedly. "It can't be true because she's not that-"

"Stupid?" Amy finishes. "Were you that stupid, Adrian? Was I?"

_Actually_, the Hispanic teenage mother thinks, _yeah, she and Amy really were that stupid, but Grace…_

Adrian shakes her head again in an attempt to rid herself of the thought. She's not showing it, but right now she's praying to every and any God there is that her friend's not pregnant because it would've seemed like she abandoned her, and if this were any other person then, whatever. But Grace actually helped her time and time again despite all of the shit she dished on her.

And she's Lexy's Godmother, which makes her practically family all the same.

-

They end up at Grace's house via Amy's SUV, and Adrian's practically banging down the door until a very confused Kathleen comes to the door in a bathrobe.

"Hi, um, is Grace here?" Adrian says sheepishly. It's ten in the morning and Amy shakes her head behind her because that wasn't the best way to wake a household up.

Grace comes to the door a moment after, and her face lights up, "You're home."

Adrian sighs with a smile, feeling internally idiotic. Here she was about to indignantly scold Grace for being –or not being- pregnant and the poor girl didn't even know she was home.

She hugs her soundly, but she was never good with chitchat so she gets right to the point after Grace's mother leaves the girls alone. "Are you pregnant?"

Grace blinks in shock, looking from Adrian's face, to Amy's and Ashley's and back again. "No, why would you say that?" She asks, brow worried.

"It's going around school," Ashley answers for her.

Grace simply shakes her head and tugs her robe closer to herself, "No, I'm not pregnant."

The air suddenly becomes stifled and Grace's forlorn look just seems…off. But the girls just nod and tell her to go get dressed and join them for breakfast.

-

Ben has to practically call Jack and have him on speaker phone before Ricky believes when he says Grace isn't pregnant, but Jack lets them know right off the bat that he hasn't even been with Grace in over a year.

"I thought you guys were kind of dating," Ben says with a frown.

"We were, but…" Jack sighs through the speakerphone. "We haven't had sex since…"

He doesn't say anything after that because he doesn't really have to.

"Besides, she's with Jason now and they're both gung-ho about Med school, so…"

Ben and Ricky exchange glances and they drop the subject.

-

Saturday breezes through all too quickly and Sunday just sneaks by them almost without notice.

John's a bit antsy; his mom's been staring at his dad all morning and he knows today's the day for him to go…wherever he's going but he wants him to stay. He keeps hearing that he'll be here for Christmas but it isn't like that's tomorrow so he'll tug on Ricky's jeans periodically while he packs.

"How's New York?" Amy will ask, sitting on the bed and watching him pack. She stayed the weekend with John and even when Ricky asked her why on Saturday she just shrugged so he simply took it as it was. Though she did mention that it was a change in scenery, and besides, she'll have to get used to it since she'll be doing it next year, right?

"Different from the Valley, definitely," Ricky smirks. "It's too big for anyone to be in your business."

Amy smiles, laying her head on the pillow, "Sounds great." Her smile falters, "How's living with Adrian?"

Ricky shakes his head, zipping up his suitcase, "It's Adrian, what do you expect?"

(Good point).

(Amy still won't admit she feels protective of Ricky, so she just pulls John up on her lap).

John tinkers with the suitcase zipper and Amy leans her head against the head board when Ricky leaves the room.

-

Adrian's packing up the rest of her things at Leo's, or she's trying to.

(Ben won't stop tickling her and her squeals are filling the room).

"Stop it, Ben!" She shrieks when she falls on the bed and Alexandria's urging Ben on in the background, jumping up and down.

He stops when he hears the door bell and Adrian takes this opportunity to escape, saying she'll answer it from the staircase.

She answers the door smiling, until her face falls when she sees who's on the other side of the jamb. Her caramel smooth complexion pales and she looks as if she's seen a ghost. She might just be staring at one.

"Antonio."

Kind dark eyes that were once filled with innocence have aged, a bit dimmer than she remembers. But damn, he's still that same boy- man, that she loved. Dark skin, hair in a long braid, and hands loosely shoved in leather jacket pockets. She takes it all in because...he's not supposed to be here.

She only takes her eyes off of him when Lexy comes bounding to the door, staring up at the foreign man and tugging on Adrian's jeans, asking questions her mother just can't answer right now.

"Alexandria," Adrian says firmly, softening at the girl's startled expression. "Not now."

"But Daddy-" Lexy murmurs with imploring chocolate eyes.

"Alexandria?" Antonio asks, causing Adrian and the girl in question to look at him. He has a thoughtful look on his face until he smiles with a rueful smirk and a deep voice. "You named her Alex? I can't believe you remembered."

Adrian can't either because she turns completely ashen as soon as he says that.

-

A long, long time ago, in a land about 3,000 miles away, two fifteen year olds named their first born. Their hypothetical first born, of course. Since her name was Adrian and his Antonio, he suggested that they keep up with the theme.

"Yeah, we're gonna name her Alex," Antonio whispered in Adrian's ear as they laid on the couch, pearly white teeth contrasting beautifully with dark skin. "And she's going to look as beautiful as you. And on the street, they're gonna call us 'Triple A'."

The Latina laughed out, body shuddering on top of his. "You're so lame."

He laughs, tickling her breathless.

-

Bile rises in her throat.

It suddenly occurs to her that the life she's now living with Ben and their daughter, was the one that was stolen from her and Antonio.

-

She retches into the toilet bowl again.

-

Lexy is standing by her mother, stroking her backside consolingly and John is standing wide-eyed by the doorway of the bathroom.

Ricky follows in Amy's wake as they've only just shown up at Leo's to get Adrian and Ben, but Ben's in the living room with a guy and Adrian's cleaning herself off by the face basin.

"What's going on?" Ricky asks, getting straight to the point.

Adrian looks over at him, face regaining a bit of it's color. "Antonio's here."

Amy's clueless, but Ricky's eyes widen: "_The_ Antonio? As in, your _dead ex_ Antonio?"

"I never said he was dead; I said he had cancer. And yeah, him." Adrian grits out before lowering herself in front of Lexy. She smiles reassuringly, "Mommy's fine, baby. Why don't you go play with John?"

(Lexy pauses, still worried, but John takes her hand and leads her downstairs).

When they reach the bottom steps, they peek through the banister. Antonio's looking around and Ben asks him how he found her. Antonio smiles and says that after he went to the old condo building and found her forwarding address, he went there and Cindy told him where she was.

(Later on, Adrian berates her mom on doing so, and Cindy snips back that she tried calling her but her phone kept going to voicemail, obviously being off).

Lexy steps forward and stands beside her father, and Ben lifts her up. She looks curiously at the man because his appearance made her mother become sick.

Antonio smiles kindly at her, "And your name is Alex, right?"

Lexy nods from under her curls.

"And how old are you?" His smiles grow wider, pearly whites winking at her. She remembers John saying that if someone smiles, they can't be all bad, but she's still wary.

"Three," Alexandria murmurs cautiously.

Adrian leads the group back downstairs after filling Amy in and the men –her men- turn to look at her.

Antonio chuckles, "She's beautiful, just like her mother."

(This becomes so achingly awkward that all Adrian wants to do is hop the next flight to NY, and at the same time she has a lot of explaining to do).

"Um, we were actually about to head out, since we have to drop off Adrian and Ricky at the airport," Amy speaks out.

(If there was one time she wanted to profusely thank the French horn player, now was the time).

"Yeah," Adrian agrees with a relived smile. She wishes she could catch up, and explain, and do all of those things but she just can't right now. Sensing her discomfort, Ben leads her out the door and over her shoulder she mouths a quick "Thank you," to Amy.

And just when she thinks she's safe, Antonio asks Ricky where they're headed. When Ricky tells them, Antonio looks at Adrian, "I live in the city, too! We should catch up, I only came back to Valley Glen for the holiday and to see if I could see you again."

Ben manages to wrap his arm around Adrian's waist and she looks up at him; is he jealous?

"Then you guys should definitely catch up as soon as you get back," Ben says kindly with a nod and Adrian gives him a look that says, Seriously?

(Although she misses when Ben gives Ricky a pointed look and Ricky nods in acknowledgement to look out for her, just in case this guy pulls a move on her).

-

Last semester of high school is so carefree, and the best part is that they get out in May.

(But Amy and Ben are still careful not to get Senioritis, but that already kicked in Junior year).

Amy doesn't have to play at this year's graduation since she'll be in it, and Grace is valedictorian.

After the blonde's speech, Joe's video yearbook comes up on the screen and Ben and Amy smile when random miniclips of Adrian and Ricky are somehow snuck in there.

It's almost hard to believe that high school is over and it's bittersweet because there are just so many memories in the hallways. From the gossip to the heartfelt Amy can actually say that she'll miss the place; they can all say that they will.

Joe's already got his stand, ready to take some pictures and the group all stand by one another for old time's sake. The girls are in front, and the boys stand in the back, but they all consider each other friends since they've been with each other from the beginning.

"Hey, where are the tykes?" Joe says before the first snap.

Amy and Ben look at each other and Rueben comes up toting Lexy, George holding John.

"C'mon, they gotta be in the picture, John was in the yearbook!" Joe points out with his lisp and a blush covers Amy's face before she shakes it off.

"He's right, you know," Grace says, looking at Ben. "It wouldn't be right, if they weren't here."

(That's how John ends up in Amy's arms and Lexy ends up on Ben's shoulders during the group photo).

-

John's excited; after almost half a year, he's going to see his father, only this time, he's going to him.

He and Lexy are pressed up against the glass at the airport, looking at the incoming and outgoing planes with wide eyes.

"John?" Alexandria asks, looking at the boy.

"Yeah," John answers eyes in the night sky.

"How do they do that, if the wings don't move?"

"I bet they push off the ground and flap when they get high in the air," John says, looking at her, but her eyes are focused on a plane about to touch the ground.

"Oh…I wonder what it's like, up there," Lexy murmurs thoughtfully.

"Daddy says your ears pop."

"What?" The little girl shrieks, grabbing her ears. John nods sagely.

"Yup, your ears pop and everything turns tiny, up there," He reiterates, pointing at the sky.

They both turn back to the bay window, Lexy still holding her ears, but she lets go of one and grabs John's hand instead.

* * *

Major thanks to **Princess Pinky** for reviewing Parts 1 and 2!

Also: The way this is set up is that Parts 1 and 2 are infancy/toddlerhood. Parts 3 and 4 childhood, Parts 5 and 6 adolescence and so on.

**Unfinished Perfection** – Thanks, I'm so glad it brought out emotion in you!

**Jhaynee** – I can't wait to WRITE what happens, lol. Hope you liked this one!

**hollowmeadow** – OH GOD, BENDRIAN BFF, thank you! (And I swear, not trying to give you a heart attack, LOL) No, Amy/Ricky hasn't happened, but it's possible…maybe. And YES, can't wait to read your RA/Bad OTP fic!

**Princess Pinky** – LOL, if they named her Alex, I'd die. xD Then I'd tell Brenda to stop stealing my ideas, lol. Hopefully the next Part'll come out soon.

**lizziec1993** – Good to find someone else like Ben/Adrian having a little girl ;)

**basicHBKnomics** – Oh goodness, I'm so happy that you like my wirting enough to become a fan, thanks for your support!

**meghann**– I'm so glad you liked this; I hope you'll like the next one!

**eternally serene** - Thank you!

**BlancheFleur07** – More coming up, I promise! Hope you liked this one though!

**butterfly01** – I'm so glad you enjoyed this, I hope I don't disappoint! :D

**moondancer2190** – Thank you so much!

Goodness, I thought I'd never finish this –and I'm still kinda not pleased with it, but what can I do? I hope you were, though, and I'll see you next part!

(Remember, reviews help me update faster)! ;)

DAC


	3. Part Three

_**H**ow **I**t **C**ould **B**e_

* * *

_Part Three_

* * *

"You're like a little kid sometimes when you just gotta-gotta-gotta have something, and you can't quit thinking about it."

**-Ricky Underwood**

* * *

He has to have it. He has to.

His big brown eyes with their little green flecks are opened wide, and he swears that never, in his young life, has he seen anything more epic. It's just…Amazing. And the worst part is that he's never had it, and he already can't live without it.

It's the SuperSoaker 4000 complete with an LED screen so that you can view your target and take pictures of them as they're getting soaked by you; it's incredible. It's like playing Call of Duty: Black Ops, but it's in real life, which makes it that much better.

John is pressed up against the glass, and Lexy rolls her eyes. "It's just a water gun."

"No, it's _the_ water gun. It's the type of water gun you dream of…" John murmurs passionately. "Just think, instead of having to use that stupid fire hydrant in the summer, we could use this!"

Alexandria's face curls, "I thought you liked the fire hydrant."

John turns back to her, and her face is already bowed down in thought. "I do, but you could like, spray people with this. It's like the water balloon thing we used to do with Daddy, only better!"

Alexandria joins him at the glass: "That was fun," She agrees with a knowing nod. "But do you think Santa will bring it this year? Because Mommy told me not to peel off that scab from my knee, and I did, so what if I don't get one?"

John concedes, that's a pretty serious offense but- "I think Santa'll let that slide."

Alexandria's little pearly whites sparkle.

* * *

They are not little babies, they say. They're big kids now, the both of 'em.

"You're not gonna stop until you get that SuperSoaker, are you?" Ricky asks with a smirk, even though he's pretty sure he knows the answer. He's crouched down to John's level, looking the little boy in the eye.

His son shakes his head, "Nope."

Ricky sighs. "Fair enough; we'll see," He says, but his eyes have this hidden twinkle in them and when John looks over his shoulder, his mother is smiling knowingly, shaking her head.

* * *

When they first arrived, it was the middle of Indian summer. It was so humid, so hot, but none of that mattered because they were all together.

And besides, it only provided more territory to explore for both Lexy and John.

Like, in California, everyone had patios and backyards, whereas in New York, the closest thing that could compare was a fire escape and a rooftop–which really wasn't the same at all.

But exploring the neighborhoods?

Sometimes because they were too young, they'd have to be kept inside, and then Lexy had problems with the humidity in the summer, but everything was so brand new. In the distance would be skyscrapers so tall that even when Lexy would rest on Ben's shoulder, she still couldn't see to the top.

And she would boast that, of course, her father had to be the tallest man in the world.

When they first came to the loft, John holding Ricky's hand and Lexy in Ben's arms, their eyes are wider than usual; it's _huge_. Not bigger than Leo's house, or even the Juergen's residence, but it's big all the same.

There's a breakfast nook, and a long grand hallway leading to two big bedrooms. They have this huge space at the front that's been turned into a living room with a large overseeing bay window, and the kids release themselves, running to the back rooms.

It's almost instinctive because John immediately goes to the right and Lexy goes to the left. John opens his door first and runs in. There's a big king sized bed in the middle, and the room's painted dark green. John's eyes rove through every inch, until he hears Lexy pout in the hallway. He leaves the room and sees that while her little fingers are high and stretched up above her, she still can't reach enough to twist the knob. He opens to door and she runs in first, bouncing to the bed, rambling on about how the walls look like the color of the sky, and crossing over to the other side of the room to look out of the big window.

Their eyes fill with the sight of huge buildings and taxis moving like toy cars below them. It's like nothing they've seen before, and therefore it's amazing.

When the adults finally make it to that side of the apartment, Ricky is insisting to Ben that if it wasn't for him, Adrian's room would've been pink, and almost scary to live in –she shoves his shoulder- and Adrian whispers to Amy that, if it weren't for her, the place would've been a complete mess.

Ricky scoffs. "I'm cleaner than you."

"Whatever," Adrian trills; picking up Alexandria from the carpet, even though the little girl is clearly fascinated by the world outside of the window. John is still looking outside of the window when Adrian remarks, "We've got to take these kids out; they'll get cabin fever in here."

The plane ride was long and even though they don't want to say this in front of the kids, they know that they won't be able to go outside as much in the city. Ricky nods and looks to Amy, "She's right, maybe we could take them to Playland this weekend."

Amy looks to Ben, who's just as confused as she looks. "Playland?"

Ricky chuckles, "It's like Disneyworld, but not really."

Amy still doesn't look convinced, but John's head turns at the sound of 'Disneyworld' and he's hooked. His grandparents took him there last summer and he had a blast. "Can we go, please?"

Alexandria yawns in her mother's arms and Amy's basically been put on the spot. She looks at John, and then to Ricky with a sigh. "Why not?" She shrugs, and picks up the little boy from the floor, who's clearly fighting off sleep. She heads into Ricky's room and John waves to Lexy over his mother's shoulder.

* * *

Alexandria, at the age of four, perfects the puppy dog face.

It's really a shame too because Adrian remembers being on the receiving end of it a lot when she was pregnant, since Ben was such an expert at it. But now that her daughter has perfected it, it's even worse because as least back then, she felt bad when she would lie and say no. Now, she finds that she can't do either.

(This is where John comes in).

He's sort of the go between; willingly, of course. Because he can communicate well with Alexandria and understand the adults' point of view at the same time. The morning started out normally, but Adrian was still reviewing material for her Law course, Ricky and Ben had to go to school, and Amy practiced painstakingly for a piece in her school's auditorium, leaving Adrian alone with the kids that morning.

Which was fine, but the little girl persisted that she wanted to go outside, which resulted in yelling and crying and the inevitable puppy dog face, with the welled out lower lip and the eyes burning with tears.

Lexy ran into the bedroom and slammed the door, and John tugged on the hem of Adrian's shirt, holding out his empty bowl. He finished his cereal.

She takes it over to the sink, sighs, and then asks him if he could talk to Lexy, in that order.

He stands there a moment before giving a slow nod of his head and proceeding down the hallway.

He doesn't know this now, but if he were paid a nickel for every time he had to talk Alexandria down from a tantrum, he'd be richer than both of her grandfathers combined.

* * *

It happens very suddenly. He's asleep, his mom on one side, and Ricky on the other side when it happens. A dull pounding invades his eardrums in the middle of the night, and crescendos until his eyes are open, spilling tears. He covers his ears in attempt to block out the shrill pain, but it persists until he cries out in pain, alerting Amy and Ricky.

John doesn't really understand what's happening, even as his father cradles him out of bed, even as his head rests on his mother's lap as Ricky tries to make a phone call. All he knows is that it hurts, and it's blinding, and he doesn't know if he can take it anymore. Hours melt into one another, and soon Adrian wakes up early as she usually does, and is shocked to find John lying in the fetal position on the couch as Amy stokes his hair, Ricky's boot laden steps pacing back and forth in the kitchen on the phone.

"What's going on?" The Latina asks.

Amy looks up at her, worried and wary. "He has an ear infection; we just got back from the ER."

"Why didn't you wake us?" Adrian whispers, going over to the couch and instinctively touching John's shoulder maternally.

"We didn't want to wake you up if we didn't have to," Amy reflects, eyes back on her son. "We gave him the antibiotic, but it isn't working and I-I'm not sure what to do." It doesn't take Adrian long to see that Amy is fighting off tears for her son's sake.

After staring off into the distance for a while, John's water-filled eyes lock onto Amy's, and she gives him a loving kiss on the forehead. Adrian watches the scene, heart heavy.

"Listen, Ben doesn't have any classes today, so he can stay home and watch John, and since you just gave him the antibiotic, it still needs time to work." Adrian says supportively, but Amy still appears lost for a moment, gazing down at John.

"Yeah," John's mother says after a moment. "You're right, I'm just…"

Adrian puts her free hand on Amy's shoulder comfortingly, and squeezes before she could finish her sentence. The younger mother looks at the Latina and no other words need be said because she understands. They understand each other, especially in this regard.

Adrian knows Amy's schedule is demanding, so she basically pushes her into the bathroom and instructs her to get dressed and let the medicine do its job. She, then, heads into her shared bedroom and is greeted with the sight of Lexy nestled into Ben's warmth, thanking God that is wasn't her daughter, but wishing that it didn't happen to John either. Ben's eyes open instinctively before Adrian makes a move to wake him and she informs him of the situation. Ben nods sleepily and tells her to bring John into their room, which she does, before telling the small boy to try to go to sleep, and the pain will be gone before he wakes up.

It isn't.

Ben becomes alerted to John's whimpering, and begins to worry. The medication hasn't had any effect at all, if anything, the pain has increased. Lexy is up at that time, poking John's shoulder gently, not really understanding why John doesn't want to play with her.

He always likes playing with her.

"It _hurts_," John mumbles on his side, and Ben texts Adrian, _no change_.

"Daddy, what's wrong with John?" Lexy asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"John isn't feeling well," Ben murmurs, patting his back consolingly. "His ears hurt."

Lexy stays quiet, mulling that over. And then, "Maybe his ears are dirty." The little girl perks up, "Why don't we get that stuff Mamí puts in it when they're dirty?"

Ben flashes her a weak smile, "I don't think hydrogen peroxide will help here, baby girl."

(Although it doesn't stop him from looking it up on his Blackberry).

* * *

It's been three days.

Ricky rushes out as soon as class lets out, calling Amy, telling her not to worry, even though he's not sure of what to do himself.

(He's scared shitless. There, he admitted it).

As soon as he reaches the apartment, he goes to John, who is conveniently on the couch once more, lying on his side. According to Ben, it's the most comfortable position for John since it seems that when he's vertical, he's in more pain.

(Which seems ridiculous to Ricky since pain is pain, but John isn't crying out, so he doesn't protest).

Amy follows in his tracks thirty minutes later to hear muffled yelling coming from her and Ricky's bedroom. "What's Ricky doing?" Amy whispers quickly to Ben, who sighs.

"Calling the hospital, wondering why the antibiotics haven't worked yet."

Amy situates herself on the couch next to her son, stroking his back.

(She's not sure how much more of this she can take).

Adrian's the last to step through the door, and the first to approach Ricky in his bedroom, who's basically doing his equivalent of sulking.

(Head down, fingers clutching his temple).

"I can't help him," He mutters before Adrian can even say a word. "I can't help my son."

She bites the side her lower lip in thought, never knowing the man in front of her to be so helpless, and not knowing what to say. And then, a memory comes to mind and she feels foolish that she never considered this before. "Ricky, John's going to be fine, okay? But I need you to watch him right now," The Latina says firmly, and Ricky looks up at her with wide eyes as she exits the room.

He follows her through the hallway, and she's already slipping on her jacket. Amy looks up at him from the couch with a hesitant smile, which he returns with shrug at Adrian's actions.

"Babe, the butcher shop keeps the fatty deposits from poultry, right?" Adrian asks Ben, who nods from the adjacent loveseat with Lexy on his lap. "Come on, Amy, we're going out."

Amy snaps her attention over to Adrian, who is already getting the keys in her hand. "Where are we going?"

"Out for a few minutes," Adrian murmurs vaguely, and throws over Amy's jacket, which she catches. "Ricky can stay with John and Ben will have his phone on in case of emergency, but we'll only be a few minutes."

Amy's still in a standstill, wondering where Adrian's going with this –she can't just leave her sick son _alone_!- but Ricky's finger curves her chin over to him and he smiles slightly. "I'm going to be right here, Amy. So, go with Adrian; you guys will be back soon."

She nods as she stands, and makes eye contact with Ben, who nods perceptively. And she and Adrian may have had their differences, but there must be a reason why she wants to take her out, so she stands and they leave after Amy places a chaste kiss to John's forehead.

They head over to the butcher shop Ben and Ricky work at, which is conveniently down the block from their apartment.

They walk in and, of course, everyone who works there knows their names. Amy's struggling not to fidget since she _still_ doesn't know why Adrian insisted on going there, but Adrian's practically a paragon of confidence as she strides up to the front counter. "Hey Calogero," Adrian says with a smirk, and the elder man grins as he wipes his knife.

"Man, I just _love_ the way you say my name; say it again, again!" He enthuses in his customary gravelly voice, gesturing with his fingers.

"_Calogero_," Adrian stresses, trilling the _R_ and murmuring the name playfully with her Hispanic accent. He smiles and it's really then that Amy is reminded of the family resemblance that he and Leo share, as he's the man's older brother.

"What can I do for you beautiful young ladies today?" He says grinning as he puts his cleaned knife on the counter.

"John is sick and I think I know what'll help," Adrian replies, before stepping up closer to the counter and whispering in his ear. Amy leans in closer in an attempt to hear, but Adrian backs away, and the elder Boykewich appears skeptical.

"I dunno, Adrian…I can't just sell it to you like that. Is it a home remedy or somethin'?"

"Or something," Adrian quips with a smirk. "Please? I wouldn't ask if it weren't necessary, and it is, it really is."

Calogero's face softens, and he looks over at Amy, who just shrugs with a light smile. "Fine, you don't havta ask twice." And he heads to the back.

Adrian pulls out her cell phone and presses _2_ on what Amy assumes is her speed dial before hastily instructing Ben to take out a skillet and turn it on high so that it'll be hot by the time they get home. As soon as she ends the call, Amy confronts her. "What exactly are we getting for John's ear, Adrian?"

Before the Latina mother could answer, Calogero returns and graciously hands over a small, tightly wound white package to her, free of charge.

* * *

The pan sizzles as soon as the lipids touch it, and the apartment begins to fill with the scent of chicken.

John sniffs it through his nearly stopped up nose, and blinks through eyes that are near-tears. Lexy is kneeled down in front of him beside the couch, quiet because apparently, loud noises further distress his sensitive eardrums. She doesn't really understand the specifics, but what she does know is that John is hurt, and she can't do anything, but sit by his side in wait as their parents figure out how to make him better. She whispers, "Maybe you're sick. I think mommy's making chicken noodle _soup_."

John shakes his head, and buries his head in the couch cushion as Lexy pouts.

The fat boils away in the pan, and becomes a sickly yellow oil. Adrian stirs absently as Ben's chin settles on the top of her head with his arms around her petite waist as Ricky leans against the opposite kitchen counter with his arms crossed. He juts his chin out, "What's that supposed to do?"

"Take the pain away," Adrian answers curtly. Ricky's brow rises skeptically.

"_How?"_

"We let it cool, and then pour it into his ear."

"_What?"_ Amy exclaims, walking into the conversation.

Adrian's eyes follow the steadily receding fat. "It's a home remedy; one that will _work_." Her eyes cut across and lock on to the younger mother's aghast gaze. "Do you think I love Lexy?"

Amy's taken aback by this, as shown by her widened green eyes. "What?"

"Do you think I love my daughter?" Adrian enunciates, eyes back on the pan in front of her, and Amy nods. "Well, I do, and if she had an ear infection, then this is what I would do. And," She sighs. "I love John too much to let him suffer like this anymore." Amy, stunned, becomes silent after this declaration. She was always scared, of John caring for another girl as his mother and she still remembers when she held him in front of her parents' kitchen window that bright day, and he pointed across the way and said '_mama'_.

Referring to _Adrian_.

She guesses that she never thought that feeling of affection could transfer into Adrian caring for John _back_, almost like a _son_.

Ben asks the question that both of the young parents of John are thinking. "Why didn't you suggest this before?"

"It's a last resort type of thing," Adrian frowns, and turns the stove off, pouring the oil into a glass. She puts it in the freezer to sit, and Ricky stands up fully.

"So, you're telling me that if this doesn't work, nothing will?"

"It _will_ work," She sets his with a steely look that sets him back to the days when they were together, and she wouldn't settle for anything less than his undivided attention and he _trusts_ her judgment with his own life, and even his son's, so he doesn't question her anymore after that.

Amy, accepting of Adrian and her antics, is still not as trusting. "How do you know it will work? I mean, is that even safe?" She doesn't know if she can take it, another girl loving John. She knows she's being irrational, but…

Adrian steps away from Ben and comes to face Amy, looking up at her from her petite position. And Amy wants to protest, say that _she_ can be the one to take care of John and that there's _no_ way that Adrian could love her son more than she did, but she can't. She can't because while Adrian was away, she trusted Ben, and she trusted her, to watch over Lexy. And while she's never said it aloud and especially in front of Ben or Adrian, she does love their little girl. Almost as if she were hers.

She sighs, the fight gone from her, and nods. All of these 'mother-to-mother' moments as of late are making her kinda dizzy, and if someone were to tell her 16 year old self that she and Adrian Lee were to one day reach an understanding of one another, she would've laughed in their face. Loudly.

After a span of seven minutes, things happen quickly. Adrian's instructing everyone to take their positions –"Ricky, get a towel and lay it under John's head, Ben, get a warm washcloth, and Amy, hold his hand"- and Lexy scoots away, watching wide-eyed as her mom positions a small cup of yellow liquid to John's ear, ready to pour.

Amy strokes John's forehead with her free hand, telling him to close his eyes.

John feels the pressure of liquid dropped into his piercing ear, and there's a moment of still numbness before the pain is gone.

* * *

Holiday time is fast approaching, and somehow, Ricky finds himself in a jewelry boutique with Ben on 5th Avenue, almost scared to even touch the counters because of all the glittery merchandise. His lanky counterpart examines a ring –_a freakin' continent_!- and Ricky shakes his head.

('Cause seriously? Marriage?)

When Ricky states this, Ben looks at him incredulously. "She's the mother of my child, and I miss her every time I'm not around her. Not to mention that I _love_ her-"

"Okay, okay, jeez," Ricky relents with his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying, you guys are still young."

Ben rolls his eyes. "We're not _that_ young, Ricky. And she's practically a part of my family, I just want for her to fully be a part of my family, to share in everything that would entail, like my name." He picks up a particular princess cut from the counter -a deep azure sapphire in the middle with smaller white diamonds surrounding the jewel- and smiles thoughtfully, "I wanted her to marry me while she was still pregnant."

Ricky stills at this. They were still in high school, and Ricky still cared about her, _in that way_. He doesn't ask why he didn't ask then because he doesn't want to know. Still, he wouldn't have wanted things to happen any other way. And he looks at that ring in Ben's hand and knows she would love it. She would love any ring that Ben gives her, as long as it's _Ben_ giving it.

"You should get her that one," Ricky blurts out, and then looks at another display of jewelry to make it look like it was no big deal.

(Ben looks over at Ricky and sees that, yeah, it was. And he buys it on the spot).

* * *

This part isn't even done guys. (_ugh_!) But stay tuned.

DAC


End file.
